Avalanche forecast

Moab

Utah Avalanche Center
View on map

Avalanche danger

  • Alpine
  • Treeline
  • Below treeline
Open full map
Out of date — this forecast expired 8 years ago. You’re viewing past conditions, not the current bulletin.

Highlights

Today the avalanche danger is CONSIDERABLE on steep, upper elevation slopes that have recent deposits of wind drifted snow. Avoid slopes with a smooth rounded appearance or that show signs of instability such as cracking in the snow surface. There also remains an isolated, or MODERATE danger for avalanches stepping down 2'-4' deep into buried, persistent weak layers of loose, sugary, faceted snow. Northerly facing slopes with steep, rocky, and more radical terrain are the most suspect for this type of avalanche.

Avalanche problems

  • Wind Slabs

    • Alpine
    • Treeline
    • Below treeline
    Likelihood
    Likely
    Size
    2

    With winds on the increase and plenty of loose snow available for transport, avalanches involving wind drifted snow will be your primary concern today. Be on the lookout for fresh deposits and newly formed stiff slabs, on the lee sides of ridge crests and terrain features in upper elevation, wind exposed terrain. Avoid slopes with a smooth rounded appearance or that show signs of instability such as cracking in the snow surface.

  • Persistent Slabs

    • Alpine
    • Treeline
    • Below treeline
    Likelihood
    Unlikely
    Size
    2

    With our poor snowpack structure, the possibility remains for triggering an avalanche on a buried persistent weak layer of loose, sugary, faceted snow. This is primarily a low probability, but high consequence situation where a triggered avalanches could release between 2'-4' deep. The danger is most acute in areas of steep, rocky, north facing terrain that has a weak, sugary, underlying snowpack, and I'm going to continue to avoid those areas.

Special Announcement

Updated 9:38

The road will not be plowed this morning. Expect to find up to 6" on the road with possible drifting.

The new UAC IOS mobile app is now available on the app store. Check out the new "My Weather" feature.

Check out the new free online avalanche course series developed by the Utah Avalanche Center. This is a great way to refresh your skills or prepare you for a Backcountry 101 or Level 1 class.

Recent Activity

Avalanche activity yesterday was confined to loose sluffs within the new snow.

Snow and Weather

Happy New Year! We are off to a great start with our season, let's keep it coming!The mountains picked up about 6" of low density snow yesterday but the story this morning is the wind. Increasing overnight from the ESE, winds have now switched to the dreaded NE, and are blowing in the 20's with gusts into the 30's. And it's cold. Temperatures are in the single digits at 10,000', and right at zero on Pre Laurel Peak. Moderate easterly winds will continue today with wind chill values as low as -20. A couple more inches of snow are possible before the system exits the area. The rest of the week brings drying conditions and warmer temperatures with another system out there for the weekend.

Reports of good powder skiing came in from yesterday. Today you will need to stick to more sheltered terrain. Dave Garcia was out and about and sent in this observation.

New snow totals in Gold Basin (10,000')

Snow totals at the Geyser Pass Trailhead (9600')

Wind, temperature, and humidity on Pre Laurel Peak (11,700')

National Weather Service point forecast.

General Announcements

Your information can save lives. If you see anything we should know about, please help us out by submitting snow and avalanche observations HERE. You can also call me at 801-647-8896, or send me an email: [email protected].

Support the UAC through your daily shopping. When you shop at Smith's, or online at REI, Backcountry.com, Patagonia, NRS, Amazon, eBay by clicking on these links, they donate a portion of your purchase to the UAC. If you sell on eBay, you can have your See our Affiliate Page for more details on how you can support the UAC when you shop

This advisory is from the U.S.D.A. Forest Service, which is solely responsible for its content. This advisory describes general avalanche conditions and local variations always occur.

Regions covered